Symphony No 4 in C Minor: An Angelic Scenario
by CyberForte
Summary: At least one being in NERV HQ thinks that it deserves to exist. When that is endangered by Gendo's scenario, this entity decides that she cannot stand idly by as the First Commander's plans endanger both she and her children. [ShinjiRei]
1. First Movement

Symphony No. 4 in C Minor Op. 4

"An Angelic Scenario."

[A Neon Genesis Evangelion FanFiction by CyberForte

-Disclaimer-

Neon Genesis Evangelion and all associated characters, concepts et cetera are property of Gainax. This is merely a work of FanFiction for which the author shall receive no legal tinder for the creation of, and thus is not intended to violate that copyright. All original situations, characters, and concepts are copyright to CyberForte, but may be used freely by others so long as credit is given to their creator.

Author's Notes

Well, this is my latest bit of insane writing. The concept of Yui and Lilith working together to thwart Gendo's scenario and to get Rei and Shinji together came to me today while I was mowing. Lilith's personality is really kind of a joke: it's my explanation for why humans are such _vunderbar_ creatures. . ; And Yui's probably a bit out of character, but I attribute that to the lack of opportunity to observe her actions and to changes caused by living alongside the beastly portion of the Eva for so long. And since this is a Shinji/Rei and obviously isn't exactly like the canon, I'm going to have the feelings of the two pilots be a _bit_ closer to the surface than in the Anime or Manga, though it shouldn't be enough to make them out of character. Also, although the plot is a bit closer to the anime (with 17 Angels and all), I'll probably characterize people in a way a bit closer to the way they are in the manga. And although this is primarily romance, I _do_ intend to use Yui and especially Lilith as more than just plot devices. And my apologies in advance for the references and/or bad humor that will pop up from time to time. And I assure you that future chapters will be a bit less dull. And, despite nudity, I'm leaving this with a "T" rating for now, since it's hardly explicit, and since I'm not sure if I'll have any lemons later.

First Movement

"Right to Live"

"The really valuable thing in the pageant of human life seems to me not the State but the creative, sentient individual, the personality; it alone creates the noble and the sublime, while the herd as such remains dull in thought and dull in feeling."

-Albert Einstein

Within the confines NERV headquarters in Tokyo-3 there was a number of beings who often questioned, consciously or unconsciously, their right to exist. Many of them did not even truly care to exist, and wouldn't have if it weren't for a few ties. Shinji Ikari saw himself as worthless; his existence wasn't important to anyone. The only reason he continued to exist was that just maybe he wanted someone to care. So, he did things he hated. He fought the Angels for his father in hope of a little praise. He cooked, cleaned, and apologized constantly, hoping that his housemates would care for him because of it.

Rei Ayanami continued to exist because she had a purpose. She may have despised her purpose and wanted little more than to return to nothingness, but so long as she had her purpose, she couldn't escape her miserable life either. There were times that she considered dying anyway. But then they'd just replace her with a new 'her.' It wouldn't be the first time; as she had found out from Doctor Naoko Akagi's killing of her first iteration, she was replaceable in a very little sense. Dying wouldn't be an escape until she had fulfilled her purpose...

Asuka Langley Sohryu, despite her very different appearance and demeanor, also only continued to exist because she had a reason: Eva. So long as there was Eva to pilot, she would exist. Piloting _was_ her existence. It defined her. It was what she was meant for...and all she could do. Not at all shy or withdrawn like her rival, the infernal "doll," she was nonetheless almost completely socially inept.

Maybe she was worse; at least Ayanami didn't pretend to be something she wasn't. But it wasn't like Asuka could be like her: then someone might still slip past her defenses, as Shinji-'baka' seemed to have done to Ayanami recently. No, rather Asuka protected herself with both lies and with her own ineptness; she lashed out at everything that got too close. Even her 'friend(s)' weren't totally safe from her wrath.

But, shockingly, there _was_ at least one being in NERV who thought she deserved to exist. Ironically, unlike the pilots, who everyone else seemed to want the continued existence of, despite the Eva pilots themselves desiring otherwise, this being's existence, if widely known, would have resulted in people desiring her destruction immediately. As it was, the only reason for her continued existence was so that she could be used in the destruction of the race she had created. Although she was amused by their desire to initiate Third Impact, thinking it would help them 'evolve,' at first, she had quickly become worried and annoyed.

And as if her children's desire to start the Third Impact for their silly ideas of 'evolution,' or even just to return those lost to Adam in the Second Impact wasn't bad enough, now the descendants of that bastard she had given the boot to millions of years ago were here--and they thought _she_ was _him_! It was absolutely preposterous, not to mention downright annoying! And it wasn't like she could do a bloody thing about it, either: that worthless, scum-ridden, three-timing pathetic excuse for a lilim, Gendo Ikari, had nailed her to a bloody cross after thinking he had her soul in a bloody half-clone of her, then had that selfsame clone stab Adam's bloody _Lancea_ through her chest!

At least the damn fool had managed to keep her safe from her one-time lover's infernal children. Angels? Pfft, sure, and she was the Queen of Heave--ohwait, she was, wasn't she? Or at least the closest thing. Regardless, as one might she was getting really bloody tired of waiting around for someone to help her. Hell, even her clones seemed to hate her. Although the operation to give Rei II her soul had utterly failed (of course!), she still had a close enough link with the girl to see her thoughts, look through her eyes, and even give some subliminal suggestions to the quasi-albino pilot. Unfortunately, this wasn't much help in freeing herself: the girl hated her with a passion. _She_ was the reason Rei couldn't return to nothingness. _She_ was a threat to obtaining the one other thing the girl desired in life. _She_ was the one from which Rei had been made.

Thus, she was quite certain that she would need to find a confederate. Especially having looked into what might happen. Although it was not among her numerous abilities to see the future, the being was able to at least look at the paths that were possible. And, unfortunately, she could only see two at present. So long as Gendo's 'scenario' was completed, she was doomed. Once Instrumentality was initiated, either it would be accepted and her children would all die...or it would be rejected, and she would die. Neither case was acceptable...

Thus, with the knowledge in her mind that she only had a limited time frame (with the death of the Fourteenth of Adam's bastards, only three 'Angels' remained before the silly fools would initialize Instrumentality) in which to destroy the _verdammt_ (too much time around that bitch Sohryu, it seemed) scenario, she considered a list of possible confederates. Anyone too close to Gendo was out. They would never trust an 'Angel' over him, and besides, there was no way of contacting them. The pilots were out, too; Ayanami hated her, she hated Sohryu, and Ikari was too damn timid. Besides, he'd already had enough trauma with regaining his ego borderline. She'd watched the whole ordeal with disgust--WAIT!

Yes, she had watched it. How? Because Unit-01 was made from _her,_ not the bastard. And it had successfully protected her up until this point, having killed more 'Angels' than Unit-00 and Unit-02 combined. Of course, she hadn't realized that she could connect with it until the Dummy Plug affair during Bardiel's attack. Being connected to Ayanami, who was in turn the core of the Dummy Plug, it had actually been _her_ will that mercilessly slew the Thirteenth, not Ayanami's. Not that she was going to be telling that to anyone anytime soon; she needed cooperation from the person (if the entity could still be called a person) who she was about to ask for an alliance.

Now, like most beings, she had no desire to look awful at her meeting. Besides, it was time to stop thinking of herself as that atrocious, saggy, obese, and downright ugly creature that she allowed herself to become during her time of dormancy. She would soon be returned to something close to her original human-esque form, so she close a mental image that suited that fact. Resolving to retain this image, and to soon make it her real form, she then finally sought out her mental link to the immaterial plane of the environment in which the one she sought dwelt.

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It would be difficult to determine who was more surprised by the encounter almost immediately after she arrived. Although the intruder had been expecting the other, encountering the ethereal woman immediately upon her emergence was not predicted. As for the other, not only did the presence of another within her realm shock her, but the appearance of that other shocked her even more so. It was the latter who reacted first, however, moving her shimmering form back slightly, as if ready to defend herself.

Although Yui Ikari was not generally an unpleasant woman, years of living side-by-side with the beast that existed within Unit-01 had sharpened her tongue and eroded her pleasant nature quite a bit. Thus, her question, in a chill tone, was a simple, "Who are you?" Of course, it was also possible that Gendo had rubbed off on her in the past. Why could say?

Regardless, the intruder was quick to regain her composure also. With a smirk that looked _highly_ out of place on the face of an older Rei Ayanami (especially one whose waist-length hair was the only thing she wore and whose back held eight glowing silver-blue wings), she replied in a semi-sweet tone, "Don't you remember me, Yui...?" Pausing for a moment, she awaited a reply. Unfortunately, it seemed that Unit-01's resident soul was determined to be a stoic, so she added in a slightly dangerous tone, "I suppose you wouldn't. After all... you _only_ created this monstrosity from _my_ body!"

That was certainly enough to phase the other. Moving back a bit more, as if the alabaster-skinned avatar of humanity's mother were a physical foe, she seemed ready to fight, "Do you intend to destroy me in revenge, then?" She wasn't quite going to address the other by who she claimed to be just yet; there was no proof yet, and she looked too much like that Ayanami girl...and like herself.

With a falsely sweet smile replacing the smirk, the seraph-esque mental avatar shook her head slightly, causing her long blue hair to shift in its positioning on her unclad 'body,' "Of course not. This beast is the one _good_ thing that you lilim ever created from me. No, I have instead come here to make you a proposal, Yui. As a mother, I can understand how you must feel right now. Your bastard 'husband' has nearly annihilated everything you lived for, hasn't he?"

Seeing the other give a somewhat uncomfortable nod, she continued, "I can sympathize, my dear. In fact, unless he is stopped...his actions will result in the death of my children...or that of myself. I find neither of those options acceptable, of course... so, I have come to you in hopes of making an alliance." Such an accurate mirror of her thought patterns, eh? Well, as her children were inclined to say, "You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. 'Sides, she needed practice in acting 'nice' for when she returned to the world of her children in her new form.

Although she seemed vastly troubled (she _did_ still love Gendo, despite his damned stupid actions since her 'death'), Yui slowly raised a glowy, ethereal eyebrow, "Why are you asking _me_ exactly? It's not like I'm much better off than you are."

At that, the seraph-esque woman smirked once more, "Ah, but you are. You have access to the minds of two pilots, even though you only seem inclined to synchronize with your son. Since neither of us are able to effectively communicate otherwise, this would be invaluable." And, she conveniently forgot to say that this was really the only option she had. Never good to let someone know how much you needed them. Better to let the fools think that they need you, but that they themselves are dispensable. It tends to make people more cooperative.

Yui thought this over for a bit. Then, she narrowed her insubstantial eyes a bit, staring with purpose into the crimson orbs of the other. Yes, defiantly like Ayanami... "And what do I get directly out of this? Stopping Gendo is important to you, but I'm not sure I'd mind Third Impact now. After all, what do I care if Instrumentality is rejected and you die?" Mostly a bluff; she had learned one thing from Gendo, at least, and that was that you should always get as much as you can out of a deal from a person you don't like or trust.

The avatar smiled again now, then shrugged slightly, "What do you want, Yui? Your freedom from this monstrosity? A reunion with your son? A new body? Dibs on killing your husband?"

Shaking her head slightly, the Ikari woman then pointed a glowing finger at the avatar, replying in a calm tone, "None of those, at this point. I'll be free when this is destroyed, and I honestly could not return to the world now. I have seen to much here to live again. Instead, I want that."

At this, the other was confused a bit, "This body? That would certainly be possible, but if you don't want to live again...what use would it be to you?"

Shaking her head, the ethereal woman replied with a single word; "Ayanami."

This, of course, lead to quite the elevation of the avatar's brow, "You want her... dead, then?" That was certainly a sacrifice she would willingly make, if it was what the other wanted, although... "Even knowing what that is asking of me?"

Yui blinked slightly, although it was pointless, just as every other gesture made on this plane. It would have been just as effective to speak in a direct mind-to-mind link, but both seemed more comfortable with these avatars, "Not dead. I want her...with my son. And what does it mean to you?"

At this, the avatar of the intruder actually let out a chuckle, replying almost jovially, "Now _that_ is a strange request, Ikari. And as to what she means... you could say that she's our link. Born of both our bodies. Our child, even. But why her, I wonder? I can tell that you dislike her from the way you 'look' at me and 'say' her name. Why not the German?"

"...you're right, certainly, that I would prefer Asuka. Even if she is abusive, at least she's more normal. But, unlike my husband, I know better than to be blinded by what _I_ want for him. He co-existed here with me for a month, and whether he realizes it or not, Ayanami is the one he wants."

The intruder snorted slightly, but nodded, "Then I would accept that sacrifice. And before you ask anything about it, there would be no moral issues with the fact. She's not even human, really."

Yui shrugged, not caring especially, "I wasn't going to ask. Living within this damnable thing, I've had to stop caring much for petty morals..." '..._so much so that I don't hate Gendo for what he's doing, even if I should..._'But that was just a thought. Instead, she finished, "But we have to hurry, then. This iteration will be destroyed by the Sixteenth, according to Gendo's scenario. We cannot allow that to occur."

Nodding to her now confederate, the other female then smiled darkly, "Then here is what we are going to do..."


	2. Second Movement

Symphony No. 4 in C Minor Op. 4

"An Angelic Scenario."

[A Neon Genesis Evangelion FanFiction by CyberForte

-Disclaimer-

Neon Genesis Evangelion and all associated characters, concepts et cetera are property of Gainax. This is merely a work of FanFiction for which the author shall receive no legal tinder for the creation of, and thus is not intended to violate that copyright. All original situations, characters, and concepts are copyright to CyberForte, but may be used freely by others so long as credit is given to their creator. Starshield and all associated concepts, including the Paradigm, are copyright to Margret Weis and Tracy Hickman and to whatever publishers.

Author's Notes

Well, I decided to try writing the second chapter of this since it seems to be getting good reviews and I'm afraid my inspiration will go flat if I wait. And I added the Starshield bit to my disclaimer because I'm probably going to kidnap an idea from it later in the story. It's a rather good series, and I highly suggest you read it if you have yet to. Anyway, this is my first real attempt to characterize the main series characters, many of whom might only appear in a background capacity, so if I make any major phailures, please do tell me. I want to keep them as IC as I can, even as many are manipulated. And I'm going to assume that Rei still had some Synch Tests with Unit-01, even after it rejected her; do you really think Gendo wouldn't at least _try_ to avoid having to rely on Shinji for something so important. Finally, in response to a review that I got... Whilst the idea of an Eve character is an interesting one, unless she's an Angel, it wouldn't make much sense, since Adam was the originator of Angels, not of humans. But I am quite open to the ideas of readers on this and most other issues, though don't expect me to be too nice to Asuka or Kaworu. I dislike both rather strongly. And as another side note, I'm going to imply that Lilith _did_ have a human-esque form before she went dormant after the First Impact, and that it had the skin, eyes, and hair that make Rei so odd by normal standards. And now, as my latest crime against the silly lilim race, let us get on with ze fic!

Second Movement

"I am I"

"He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you."

-Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

Sitting within the 'Throne of the Soul' that was located within Evangelion Unit-01 and preparing herself for yet another attempt to synch with the behemoth, Rei Ayanami was _really_ beginning to wonder why the Commander was bothering. As much as it went against her nature to disapprove of an action taken by her guardian, it was getting preposterous. But, of course, she would endure it. She had her orders, ne?

With thoughts like this, she was almost shocked enough to let it show in her expression when the usually dead being which she was within actually came to life. Apparently, the bridge crew was just as shocked, because their reports on the usually routine harmonics being normal and synch ratio were barely stammered out. In a moment, though, the quasi-albino girl was to lose any interest she had in the others present. She didn't even notice the worried queries from the Unit's usual pilot as her synch ratio shot upwards; she had already been drawn away from her body and into the immaterial realm that was the consciousness of Unit-01.

A mix of technology and Angelic influence, the said plane was the current habitation of Yui Ikari, as previously illustrated. This day, however, 'twas not the ethereal woman who awaited the First Children, but rather...herself? At least it looked like her, albeit a good bit older, and with far longer hair. Much more immaculately brushed, also. Oh, and there was also the fact that whilst Rei wore her plugsuit, this other was unclad. But still, the resemblance was _quite_ uncanny.

Now, had Rei been in the real world, she probably would have stared into her counterpart's matching crimson eyes without visible reaction all day, or at least until the strange woman made the first verbal move. But, this was a more insubstantial plane, and one upon which the girl had almost no experience in the proper manifesting and controlling of form on. Thus, it was no surprise when her thoughts were unwittingly released from her avatar's mouth, "Who are you? Are you... me?" Then, after a slight deliberation, a shake of the head, "No, that cannot be. I am I; I am Rei Ayanami. Who are you?"

Smirking in the slightest, the other avatar gave a slight shrug, "In fact, I _am_ you, in one sense. Yes, you are you, but I am also you. I am the self that observes yourself." She felt a slight amusement at the use of words so similar to those of one of her foes; she had been filled on upon all of the exact details of the fights with the first fourteen Angels, and the line she had used appeared to have convinced Ikari well enough when used the first time.

Unfortunately, it seemed that this was not quite acceptable to the First Children. "I do not believe you," came the sound of her soft voice. "There exists only a single self. I am that self. I am I. Who are you?" Although the voice was as monotone as that of her physical one, she was actually feeling rather annoyed. She disliked being made to repeat the obvious, and she disliked being lied to _very_ much.

At this, the avatar of the other scowled, and Rei found herself feeling...well, she couldn't quite place the feeling. It defiantly centered around the ease with which the older version of herself expressed her displeasure. And it was most defiantly not an agreeable feeling. Not at all. It was as if she wished to make the other cease to express herself so easily. It was not right that something pretending to be her was able to do something that she could not. In fact, she was considering putting a stop to it when the scenery abruptly changed. Previously, the two had stood in water (or was it LCL?), but now both that and the older replica of herself were gone; washed away by some strange an inexorable tide.

But even though the liquid seemed to be gone, Rei felt as if she were instead more deeply ensconced in it. She could not move and she could not speak, but she could watch as the current caught her in its grip, dragging her in a rush towards...images? _Somewhat like my life, _reflected the demi-angel as she was pulled into a maelstrom of images. Actually, they weren't quite like her life; in her life, at least she could do small things of her own violation. But, once she reached the eye of the whirring images, she was thrust into them. Just as her avatar seemed to meld through the images, becoming a part of them, she happened to look back...and she actually let out a small gasp; the reason that she had been unable to move was that her body was held tightly in a giant translucent white-gloved hand, a hand that connected to a navy-blue arm that connected to a--but then she saw no more of it, for she had totally merged into the imagery.

Only now it was no longer two-dimensional images of very unpleasant scenes. Now it was the reality around her. And, perhaps worst of all, her body could move again--it was just not under her control. Instead, it seemed like she was running on the Dummy Plug; she could watch and experience everything her body did, but not actually control said things. A most disconcerting feeling. Almost as if she were a puppet..._no!_ That thought was quickly pushed from her mind before a mental Sohryu popped up to join it. This whole sequence was already enough of a problem without the German girl invading her mind.

Besides, at this point, the scene that her body seemed intent on acting out was easily able to hold her interest. Before her was the Commander, his demeanor as cold as it always was recently. Beckoning for her to follow, he quickly moved towards Terminal Dogma and the giant crucified being within. Without any hint of regret, he then pushed her into the being, watching as she was absorbed as he stepped in after her. And then she felt her body falling away as she rose, her form becoming gargantuan as she looked out over the world. She felt the power now; her body had the power to destroy every living being upon the planet. Or she could die herself. Then, before she (or whatever was controlling her body) could chose, she felt herself ripped out of them image.

Her body was now held limply upon great puppet strings. Unable to move enough to even glimpse the puppeteer, the girl watched as two paths of images stretched out before her. To the right, the her in the images chose to die. To return to nothingness, as she had always wished. But, instead of peace, in this new world, she was brought back once again; her purpose hadn't been fulfilled, and the Commander wasn't satisfied. Only now there was no way for him to truly complete it, and she would never truly gain her release.

In the other option, the left, she chose to destroy all life in a cruel mockery of what the Commander wished for; all were brought together, yes, but without individuality, she could only watch as the massive combined soul lost all purpose, the number of opposing forces that went into it virtually canceling out all feeling. In effect, everything _but_ her was reduced to nothingness. And, in a particularly hateful scene, she was forced to watch as one of the few things that had mattered to her in life was pulled into this combined soul. As the younger Ikari's form was assimilated, she could feel his sense of betrayal. Wasn't she always going to protect him...?

And now, perhaps mercifully, the strings holding her to the puppeteer released her, letting her body tumble downward yet again. As she finally impacted something (liquid again, it seemed), the current allowed her to get a single glance upward at the one holding the strings: again, it was a great white glove, translucen tand allowing the skin beneath to show. And, oddly, the strings seemed to be coming out of the skin itself. Out of burn-scars in the skin... But, all thoughts were pushed from her mind as she was dragged through one last set of images.

Oddly, this set seemed to offer... hope? Under the strange 'light' of a black moon, a third path was offered. Although it was not free of obstacles, it seemed almost... hopeful. As if the black moon above radiated ultraviolet light, the vision of herself within the images, clad in a plugsuit, was glowing a soft purple light. Behind her laid some terrible beast, its face and body shadowed entirely. How then was it terrible? She couldn't really say, but it obviously was. And, it was also obviously no longer among the living. As the scene her looked up, the source of its demise became apparent; over it stood Unit-01, the armored beast almost looking noble. And, standing in front of it, also glowing somewhat in the moon's light was the pilot. The last thing the Rei who observed the scene saw of it was the her within the scene smile at the boy. Then it all went dark; sweet nothingness? No, just unconsciousness. Perhaps it was the same, though; this was the girl who never dreamed, _ne_?

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While the bridge staff of NERV screamed, worried and agonized over the sudden forceful ejection of Rei from Unit-01 after almost five minutes of what could be considered a psychological attack on the girl by the Eva in question, Shinji's almost fit over the girl was broken as he rushed off to be sure that she was now ok, and Gendo acted like a cold bastard despite whatever his true feelings on the event were (as usual), within the plane that the said girl had just left, two beings spoke again. Neither looked especially happy. The avatar of the intruder spoke first, her pseudo-voice conveying her obvious anger far better than her face, which was saying a lot, "Why the hell did you interfere!?"

With a sigh, the ethereal form of the other replied in a resigned voice, "Because you obviously couldn't manage by yourself. We'll be lucky if your ill-planned 'talk' doesn't ruin the whole thing! She's _not_ my son, and the tactics that work on him aren't going to work on her. _You_ of all people should know that."

Now, the intruder knew very well that a valid point against her was being made, but she wasn't exactly the type to back down just on that. She was the bloody mother of the race, and this woman dare imply that she had _messed up_?! It was downright preposterous! "And how the bloody hell do you know that you did any better? For all you know, she could just pass this all off as the result of polluted LCL!"

". . ." came the reply, or lack thereof. With a sight sigh, Yui wondered (not for the first time) if the Seraph-esque woman was really anything but an inner demon of her own come out to torment her with both false hope and not so false stupidity. Finally, after a moment, she asked, "Are you finished with the fit now? You know that the girl isn't especially fond of words, and using those images was far more likely to affect her. In the best case, she'll think it's her unconsciousness telling her that she's on the wrong path..."

Sighing herself, the intruder shook her head, her eight wings having now reformed upon her back, "Yes, the images were a good idea...but she would never think that. Doubt about the Commander is something she has none of. But it might actually suit our purposes for her to know that it came from without. _IF_ she knew you were here." After a slight pause, she then reluctantly added, "And just so you know, I _did_ do my part in that." Not caring to elaborate, she then looked at the other female expectantly, obviously awaiting a reply.

Taking a moment to collect her thoughts, the insubstantial avatar of Unit-01's resident soul gave her the desired response, "...true enough. It'd really help us with this is we had a link to the real world, don't you think? Sure, this will help, but it would help a _lot_ more if there was someone who could point her in the direction of learning about my present state."

Nodding absentmindedly, the unclad avatar of the other's mind was obviously already considering this. "That is certainly true, but it seems almost impossible to even contact another in our present conditions, never mind swaying them to our cause..."

To this, the object of Gendo Ikari's obsession offered a slight smirk, "I think I have an idea on this, actually. You see, we're not _completely_ cut off here. The armor and plug of the Eva are connected to the computers of NERV. I _was_ a scientist, you know. I've already started hacking outward. Before too long, we might just have access to _something._"

Clapping her avatar's alabaster hands, the other nodded, "Superb work, then. By the way, I think the Fifteenth of the bastards should be arriving soon. It'll either be Tabris, Arael, or Armisael. We should get ready in the event that your son isn't up to fighting yet another, I think."

With a chuckle and a slight hint of satisfaction in her voice, the former scientist replied, "Arael, I believe. Her arrival fits nicely into _our_ scenario, if the Scrolls are correct about her form."

Slight annoyance devalued the face of the older Ayanami-based avatar, "And how the hell do you know that exactly? Even I don't know what _order_ the cretin will show up in!"

With an almost dark smile, Yui replied, "It will suffice to say that NERV's resident bleach-blonde slut has a tendency to gloat to me about how _their_ scenario is going perfectly, and that I'll soon no longer be needed. I don't think she really believes that I can hear her. And, on that subject, are you certain that you're prepared adequately for the sixteenth? She's going to destroy the 'substitutes' in the Dummy Plug soon, apparently, so if you mess up, we won't even be able to make use of the third iteration."

Unbeknownst to the one who had just spoken, this news worried the other immensely. She had plans for those clones, damnit! But, despite this displeasure, she managed to keep her voice level as she returned, "Of course I'm sure. So stop worrying about that and get us that link!" And, with that, her avatar dematerialized, returning to her abused body in Terminal Dogma to brood and contemplate a way to preserve the clones. She would _not_ allow such a prize to be destroyed without a fight.

And, as she left, the other woman's mind wasn't exactly blank. She would have a lot of spare time before the next synch test now, and she had her own plans to continue creating. Although her confederate was useful, there was no way in hell she was going to rely on her or her plan. So, as she began to work on hacking her way outward from the Eva, using the S2 engine to provide enough power to do so, she contemplated her true goal(s), and what would be needed for the process of achieving it/them.

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Random Omake v1.0

Approaching the room that held Lilith within NERV HQ, Tabris/Kaworu began to quietly hum Ode to Joy. There had been so much confusion of late that he hadn't even required his Angelic powers yet, and with any luck he would easily slip in without any interference; _Sorry, Shinji, but I don't want to die this time_, he thought to himself, thinking of the dark-haired boy. Not that it was any great pain to avoid him being around: he'd seemed quite happy to retreat to his room in the presence of a certain blue-haired demi-angel, leaving the Seventeenth free to slip away and into his current location. Smirking at how easy this was, he stepped into the room that he was certain contained his father...

Only to be met with several very daunting facts. First of all, it was not Adam, but his dear Aunt Lilith within. Secondly, she was not a giant nailed to a cross as he had expected. And finally, said aunt, unclad and in the form now that her mental avatar had assumed often, was standing just past the doorway with a very annoyed expression on the face that had once belonged to a clone of Rei Ayanami. Well damn, there went his good... "Tabris...SHUT THE HELL UP!" ...fortune.

As soon as the elder angel's words reached him, the silver-haired boy's eyes widened and an expression that obviously conveyed the sentiment "Oh Damn, I'm so screwed!" assumed its place upon his normally serene features. Turning to run and naturally bringing up his AT Field, he obviously did not want to be there. Needless to say, Ode to Joy was long dead.

Unfortunately for our young fiend (err, friend), the other was faster. Neutralizing his AT Field with ease, she dashed after him, taking him down with a well-placed tackle. Forcing him onto his back, the blue-haired reincarnation of the mother of all humanity then began the process of royally pwning the seventeenth Angel.

But, the strangeness of the scene still had a bit of unfolding to do. As he was mercilessly pummeled, the young Angel began to weakly sing _Bohemian Rhapsody._ Normally, he wasn't into Queen, but the song fit the situation so well... a fact driven home (along with the latest in a series of extremely painful blows to his face) by the joining of his assailant into the singing. Naturally, she only sang the bits in which she could properly answer her nephew. _Quite_ the strange duet.

Of course, after the final "nothing really matters," the azure-haired woman took the opportunity to just snap his neck. After all, nothing really mattered to him, _right?!_

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Author's Notes Part II

For the love of the Gods, _please_ do not ask me where that Omake came from. It just came to me yesterday while I was trying to cook up inspiration for the story. I originally thought of using a similar scene for the actual battle with Tabris, but it didn't seem serious enough, so I just made it the Omake. Maybe someone spiked mein Earl Grey? Anyway, I suppose the Omake gave away Lilith's plans for the Rei clones, but that was probably obvious anyway. And I'm not _completely _sure what Yui's plans are at this point, so I'm open to suggestions at this point, although I'm pretty sure they don't include her returning to life. And finally, I'd like a bit of insight from those more skilled at keeping Rei IC than I: how exactly would you suggest she react to the little 'trip' she experienced in the first half of this movement? It was mostly Yui's doing, obviously, though Lilith did add a few subliminal emotions to the experience.

P.S. And a big thanks to everyone who has reviewed thus far; I'm honestly shocked by the number. This hasn't even been up for two days and it's already completely outdone _Amore con Brio_ and _Musings of an Angel_.


	3. Third Movement

Symphony No. 4 in C Minor Op. 4

"An Angelic Scenario."

[A Neon Genesis Evangelion FanFiction by CyberForte

-Disclaimer-

Neon Genesis Evangelion and all associated characters, concepts et cetera are property of Gainax. This is merely a work of FanFiction for which the author shall receive no legal tinder for the creation of, and thus is not intended to violate that copyright. All original situations, characters, and concepts are copyright to CyberForte, but may be used freely by others so long as credit is given to their creator. Starshield and all associated concepts, including the Paradigm, are copyright to Margret Weis and Tracy Hickman and to whatever publishers.

Author's Notes

Well, despite a lack of inspiration for writing this chapter, many doubts about what's going to happen, and a continued mental blank about how to portray Asuka or even how to fit her in at all, I'm going to attempt to write chapter three now. The Third Movement, rather. And as you may have guessed last chapter, I write this section of notes before I start on the writing and the second set when I'm done. Also, I made a slight edit to the imagery in the second movement, at the point where Rei sees the puppet strings' source. I realized that it would be a more perfect symbolism this way, and that it would be more conducive to my introversion as presented in this chapter. Once you read ze change, the reason should become apparent, ja? Iv nicht, mayve sie are dense, ja? -shot- (Joking.) Regardless of your reaction, although it is only one line that I changed, I expect it to be rather important and suchlike. Now, to address several reviews...

As far as the Eve thing goes, what I'm saying is this. In the Evaverse, Adam is the Originator of the Angels (except Lilith) and Lilith is the originator of humans (hence why Kaworu refers to humanity as Lilim). Thus, considering that an Eve would be created from Adam, the Eve would have to be an Angel. Thus, the only way I could see that working with Asuka is via Arael being the aforementioned "Eve" and thus somehow transferring it to Asuka. Whilst that is an interesting concept, I'm not certain how it would fit into things. If anyone has ideas, I'm willing to listen, but I assure you that I have _NO_ intention of turning this into an "All Eva pilots become Angels" fic. Rei is demi-Angel already, and that's the closest anyone is getting, assuming you don't count a possible Lilith emergence in a Rei clone.

Next, I greatly thank Marine Brother Sharan for his psychoanalysis; hopefully, it will make my introspection in this chapter more believable. And as I've said, I think I'm going for more manga-based characterizations set in the anime-like timeline. Only I wonder how badly I've already screwed that up, considering what point we're at in the story and yet I'm just getting around to reading past volume 4 of the manga. I had to find the rest online, as my Library only has up to 4, and I really don't feel up to reading through another five or six volumes right now. So maybe it's best not to ask if this is anime-based or manga based. X.X

I think that both Rei's feeling of Jealousy in the last Movement and the title/quote for this chapter should provide evidence of what direction I plan to take things with her. No one ever said that she enjoyed not feeling much, right? (If they did, then... -hides explodey ray-) And I don't know if I'll introduce the Third confederate or get to Gendo-centric stuff in this chapter, but if not, I'll try to fit it in soon. And yes, I know that I write too much in this section. I could probably write a Movement of Author's notes more easily than an actual fic Movement. But I suppose that wouldn't be very interesting. -assumes the Gendo Position and gets to work-

Third Movement

"Facade...?"

"And should one's countenance too long remain obscured by a facade, no matter the rational, one may find that when one attempts to forego its usage, that a difference no longer exists between the facade and the reality."

-Anonymous

_Again, I find myself alone. Aloneness is a state of being that I am familiar with. Comfortable with. This is fortunate. Once I am able to return to nothingness, it will be my constant and only companion. A paradox. But my feelings in another respect are unclear. Aloneness is comfortable...but do I truly find it agreeable? I am uncertain in this regard._

_Perhaps a different prospective should be considered. If I am uncertain, is it because I have never truly experienced anything other than aloneness? No, that is incorrect. I have experienced the company of Ikari, of the Commander, and of others. Yet, is this truly deviating from the aloneness? My mannerisms have been molded purposefully to prevent unnecessary interaction. Necessary interactions occur, but they do not penetrate. With others, they do not possess the ability to do so. The Commander does not wish to. He is similar to me in that regard. It is unfortunate. So long as we both remain intractable, nothing will ever change for us._

_Then perhaps it is so that I am uncertain because I lack experience. Although I experience aloneness, it is all that I know, and so I am not in possession of the meter by which it should be measured. That is logical...and yet it feels incorrect. There is another who has not been properly considered; Ikari. He has repeatedly attempted to pierce through the aloneness that I wear about myself. Has he succeeded? Perhaps. I have smiled for him. It felt...agreeable to comply. _

_In other instances, I have also found his actions agreeable. He prevented the Second Children from physically touching me on our first encounter. I felt a desire to prepare tea upon his visit...and although my attempt was unsuccessful, the overall outcome was quite agreeable. And yet, would I not be considered hypocritical? I told Ikari that nothing would change between he and the Commander, and yet I am unable to bring myself to alter the status quo between myself and either of them. Am I afraid of the change?_

_That is logical. I am human in terms of my mind. For humans, change is unknown, and so it is feared. Is then the reason that I find the aloneness comfortable because it is unchanging? This is not acceptable. It would be illogical to believe then that aloneness is an agreeable state merely because it is unchanging. And have I not enjoyed the company of Ikari? If so, then it is a likely possibility that aloneness is not a completely agreeable state. _

_However, I cannot assume that a state not composed of aloneness is agreeable. In the presence of many, such as the second child, I wish for the return of the state of aloneness. Perhaps then it is logical that an amount of aloneness and an amount of unaloneness are both agreeable. Whether a state of unaloneness is agreeable or disagreeable must depend upon the other involved in the creation of the state. A formula. This is logical._

_If it follows then that the existence of Ikari in an instance of unaloneness results in the instance being agreeable. With this established, it is possible to consider that it is possible my subconscious wished to indicate this in the form of the final portion of the incident. It does not explain the prior portions properly, however. Does the possibility exist that the incident was created not of myself, but of another? Dr. Akagi informed me of abnormal psycho-graph reading during the incident. Was it proper not to inform her?_

_I believe that it was. Until the incident may be properly analyzed, it would be counterproductive to inform her, as it would be extraneous data. The test was considered a failure. Whether this is due to my own subconscious reaction to Unit One or due to a purposeful assault upon my mind by the Unit is irrelevant to the scenario. It does not change the factual result of the test. My own interest in it is merely a curiosity._

_Regardless, it was intriguing to consider the possibility that this incident was due to the Evangelion. More data upon the possibility is required to properly analyze this. Perhaps I should consult Pilot Ikari. He has previously professed to experience strange visions within his entry plug. It would follow then that he would be considered the 'authority' in such matters. Taken in combination with my conclusion that a state of unaloneness with Ikari present is agreeable, the logically following action would consist of approaching Pilot Ikari and conferring with him upon the subject of the incident._

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Elsewhere, a familiar scene unfolded. Again, two avatars convened upon an immaterial plane that was based upon Evangelion Unit-01. The intruder was the same as ever, her unclad form mirroring that of the girl whose mind she oft watched, and occasionally touched, though older. And the other was still a glowy and ethereal form, the one that Yui Ikari now seemed to prefer, as opposed to an avatar that mirrored her long gone physical body. The plane seemed a bit different, though. Rather than bland whiteness as was the normal, it seemed to have taken on a blue tinge, and the 'ground' (which both floated above rather than rested upon) seemed to have been traded off for very light water.

Raising a brow, the blue-haired avatar was the first to speak, "It seems you've been doing some redecorating. Not a bad look, I suppose. Any particular reason?"

Blinking slightly at the mundane nature of the other's opening words, Yui glanced around, then shrugged slightly, "It just seems to happen. Maybe it has something to due with Ayanami being in here so long. But I somehow doubt you've come here to comment on the color of my 'home.'"

Offering a slight smirk, the other replied offhand, "True enough, but I'm rather growing to like it in here. Maybe I should think about moving..." Seeing for the barest fraction of a second a dark look overtake the eyes of the ethereal avatar, she inwardly made a note, and outwardly let her smirk change into a slight grin, showing the other that she was merely jesting. "But, in all seriousness, I came here to discuss our progress with the girl, and perhaps what further steps we ought to take. That, and getting our contact. If we're to make any real impact, we _need_ it, and posthaste!"

Sighing and hoping that she'd not betrayed her panic at the other woman's 'idea,' Yui considered a moment. Well, if the mother of all humanity could make jokes about this... "All we need to do is get her into a lab coat and call her a PhD. It'll solve this whole problem for us..." Despite the nature of the statement, she kept a perfectly straight face, wondering in a detached part of her mind if there might not be some truth to it.

Now this puzzled the other greatly and caused her to raise a brow quite high. _If it was that simple, why the hell didn't you say it sooner, you stupid--wait a bloody minute! You're 'pulling my chain!' You bitch! _Well, that was the thought, although this rendition has the more severe profanity removed. When you think about it, it's a bit surprising that a being who'd lain dormant for so long was proficient at swearing in at least twenty languages, even if she was the mother of the race...

As if to confirm the slightly murderous thoughts running through the other's head, Yui then smiled sweetly, "After all, no Ikari male is capable of resisting a female co-worker in a lab coat." With the lab at her husband's sexual preferences out of the way, she then continued in a more bland tone, "But yeah, I've been working on it. I'm afraid that the MAGI might be a bit of a problem. Just like Naoko; still trying to interfere with my happiness, even in death." Bitter? Well, one might suppose that one would be so as well if one was speaking of a woman who had taken advantage of one's death to enter a sexual relationship with one's husband, no?

But still, she wasn't quite finished speaking, "About Ayanami... You said that you can influence her, or at least report on her, right? So then how has she reacted to our little attack?" This was perhaps the only of the topics that really _interested_ her, since it was taking place _now._ For a woman trapped fifteen years or so in an Eva that had only started _doing_ anything this last year, nowhere near enough events transpired _now._

The intruder now nodded, seeing that she had been shortchanged of her chance to throw back some witty jibe of her own and that they could now get down to business. "So far, things are actually doing better than anticipated. She's reasoned that the images aren't her own. With a little nudging, I got her not to tell Akagi about them. Now she intends to talk to your son about it... It seems that in at least one regard, our need for an outside contact is abating..."

Yui shook her head at this, though smiled slightly, "Actually, this increases the need. At this point, he has only conjecture that I'm here. Sure, I appeared in his mind while we coexisted, but he has no proof. But, if we could give them irrevocable proof of the nature of Eva at this point, not only would it push her away from my husband, but it would assist with the bond developing between them. Shared secrets add a nice level of intimacy to a relationship, you know?"

Although she'd prefer not to think about her sole experience in a relationship, one that the end of had literally caused the First Impact, she nodded. The concept behind it was certain sound. That was enough for her. And besides, it played right into the plan she intended to set into motion. "Quite true. We'll have to consider the options carefully, once we do get the connection, though. 'Help' from the wrong parties could end up being more to the order of a hindrance. And, if we're not careful, she may completely retreat into her shell..."

Frowning a bit, Yui raised a brow, "Are you really sure that it's a shell? Is she wearing a mask still, or has she worn it so long that it's become her face? I'm afraid that she's had a good example of that to learn from."

Her expression now mirroring her ethereal compatriot's, the intruder blinked slightly, "I...hadn't considered that. If it is the case, although our changes will be more hard-won, they'll be more permanent, won't they? Meaning that so long as she's willing to change for him, there's a good chance she won't be changing back."

Although she nodded, the inhabitant of the plane's frown deepened, "But, if we mess things up, there won't be any second chances, because if she's hurt while she's changing, the hurt is likely to be a major part of the change, you know? And, like you said, it'll be more permanent." Pausing, her brow furrowed in deep thought... "And didn't you say something about her origins the other day? Will that be a concern?"

At this, the other's frown also deepened, "...damnit! Yes, it most defiantly will. Since you didn't seem to care, I didn't elaborate on it, but Ayanami is hardly a normal lilim. Basically, Gendo took my DNA and your DNA, combined them, and made her. Thus, even though her DNA, being only demi-lilim, has nothing close to family-level similarity to your son's and she is unable to bear children anyway, if he finds out... Well, you can see what I'm hinting at, and that manner of rejection of her would mess with our plans in the extreme, and hurt her in a possibly irreparable fashion. Since I cannot accept either of those happening, we must take steps to prevent it from coming to light. Would you agree, Ikari?"

Nodding slightly and inwardly grinning slightly at the disconcerting effect the statement had created (she's remembered perfectly well, but she wanted to see how the other would react...). Outwardly, though, she only added a bland and rather obvious comment to the conversation, "Then it seems that our need for a material agent grows even stronger. What will you do?"

The intruder's avatar seemed to settle a bit at this point, as she considered the question, and when she spoke again (after more than a few seconds), the tone betrayed nothing, "Well, I would _like_ to deal with whatever's stopping us from acquiring the agent." Pausing, then smirking as she considered her plan, she continued, "You said that the MAGI are the obstacle, didn't you? Well then, please explain to me these three pillars which stand in the path of our 'noble' intentions..."

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Author's Notes Part II

To be honest? I'm not anywhere near as happy with this Movement as I am with the first two. It took me forever to get into Rei's mind, and in the middle of trying, I had a slight attack of self-doubt as to whether I have the right to play God with other people's characters. It did rather pass, though I'm still not wholly comfortable with characterization, so if I make mistakes in the major characters,_ please_ point them out. I really want to make this worth reading. Anyway, I had originally thought that I would be doing more Rei introspection in here, but it turned out to be less, because I realized that with this logical approach, she won't be analyzing the imagery until she is certain she can classify it as having an exterior source. And of course Lilith provided the little bit about it not being worth reporting until it is analyzed, although I didn't realize that until I started writing the Lilith/Yui scene. As you can see, those two aren't the best of friends at this point, and that's only going to get worse when the third member joins the triad.

I still don't have inspiration for what I'm going to do with Asuka, although I'm considering making a serious attempt to slip in some Asuka/Kaworu, since although my support of that was originally a joke, I do see some logic in it. Like I said, that all depends upon what direction I decide to go with Asuka. Also, as you may have noticed, I did manage to toss together the manga and anime into one indiscernible heap as far as background goes, so I guess this counts as a technical AU, ignoring the fact that it obviously diverges from the main storyline anyway. And the quote isn't really anonymous. I couldn't find one, so I just made it up. -cough- And no Omake today, since I want to write this one-shot I had the idea for in the midst of this. Being able to write it was my incentive for getting this Movement done, and even if it isn't quite as long as I would have liked, it'll do.

One last thing, to the person I had asked to check my Asuka characterization; although I would still like you to do that when I get to the point that I've decided on her role and so included her, I didn't send this to you because I'm honestly not completely fond of the idea of a beta unless there's a specific reason. If people have some overall issue, I'd prefer that they address it via review before I abridge my work on the suggestion of the first person I have read it. So apologies for not sending you this beforehand and all. Thus, any missed spelling/grammar errors are strictly mine. I did spell check it though, thankfully.


	4. Fourth Movement

Symphony No. 4 in C Minor Op. 4

"An Angelic Scenario."

(A Neon Genesis Evangelion FanFiction by CyberForte)

-Disclaimer-

Neon Genesis Evangelion and all associated characters, concepts et cetera are property of Gainax. This is merely a work of FanFiction for which the author shall receive no legal tinder for the creation of, and thus is not intended to violate that copyright. All original situations, characters, and concepts are copyright to CyberForte, but may be used freely by others so long as credit is given to their creator. Starshield and all associated concepts, including the Paradigm, are copyright to Margret Weis and Tracy Hickman and to whatever publishers.

Author's Notes

You know what? I don't really like this story that much. But, considering its popularity and my desire for attention, I think I'll continue it, despite its many faults. But, before I go on, I'm going to point out a few things. For one, I'm much less uncertain about things now. I've bought the box set, analyzed the series, and come to several conclusions that directly oppose many of the commonly held ones. Unfortunately, this fic was started using many of the latter, and I think it'd destroy it to try and change that. So, instead, I'm going to say this is an AU of the series, and that not all the views or assumptions used or implied herein represent my views concerning the series itself. But, since I _do_ still believe as I do, in the instances where I have not already screwed that up, I'm going to express some views which may not fit with your opinion of the Evaverse, especially if you consider yourself an Asuka fan. I'm not going to bastardize her, as you might be thinking, but I'm not changing her the way many of you do either. I'm not going to make her into a nice, likable person under a mask of bitichiness with hidden feelings for Shinji, because that _is __**not**_ what Asuka Langley Sohryu is. Nor is she a heartless bitch. She's a mentally unstable girl whose mother's insane actions hurt and twisted very badly. If you want elaboration, them please read this: http:(slash)(slash)www(dot)cyberforte(dot)net(slash)Fiction(slash)Asuka20Essay(dot)doc Replace the (slash) with a slash and the (dot) with a period. And now that I'm done with my rant, on with the fic.

Fourth Movement

"..._and the Word was God._"

"…this high seat your Heaven

Ill fenced for Heaven to keep out such a foe

As now is entered..."

-John Milton, _Paradise Lost._

Visiting others was not something Rei Ayanami was used to. As such, she did not have any great desire to start now, and so she would need to find some alternative way of speaking to Ikari, preferably one that did not include the presence of others, especially not the second child. Considering that condition, school was no longer a possibility. As such, the only remaining viable options were to avoid the second within NERV or to request or otherwise induce the presence of Ikari in her dwelling. The latter seemed to be a more agreeable option, considering that it would afford a great deal more privacy, something which was preferable, and that it would guarantee the absence of the second. Unfortunately, it also required that an invitation or some other form of summons be issued, which would likely need to be done in public. However, perhaps she could simply request it; it would not be especially difficult to approach the boy on a day that the second would be in the company of Class Representative Horaki.

As Dr. Akagi had observed, the Third Child was skilled at doing what he was told. Perhaps he was somewhat akin to her in that manner. But there was a distinction. Pilot Ikari did what he was told to do. Rei Ayanami did what she was _ordered_ to do. As such, while Ikari was often at the mercy of the second, she was immune to the girl's childish actions, at least so long as their ranks remained equal. It crossed her mind fleetingly that, if the second were to ever outrank her, she would end her life with due haste, regardless of her purpose or the consequences regarding the scenario, preferably after terminating the spare selves. If Commander Ikari were ever to be so foolish as to issue such a promotion, the loss would not be unwarranted.

But, that was irrelevant. Commander Ikari was not a fool, and as such it would never come to pass. If it had mattered, she might have questioned why she'd had the thought at all, even though it was true, but she obviously didn't care or do so. It was, after all, irrelevant. As such, her attention quickly shifted back to the considerations at hand, mainly when to approach Ikari and request him to accompany her. School seemed to be the most logical option, or rather its end upon a day when the second would be preoccupied. Perhaps tomorrow. It would all depend on the second. If not, she could wait. A rather interesting looking book had caught her eye in the library anyway. It was called_ The Truth_. What books were titled never ceased to amaze her, but that was irrelevant. The title usually was too, but this one had made her curious. So had the first page. It was certainly not much like the normal books in the "Fantasy Literature" section. It required further investigation.

But, even had she not had a book, one thing that Rei Ayanami knew well was how to wait. It had been her usual pastime, if the word could be applied to something that didn't especially help with passing time, for as long as she could remember. She had, before recent times, thought of her life in terms of what she was waiting for. The preparation of Unit-00. The next Synch test. The Third Angel. Her recovery and reactivation test. The next Angel. But presently, she was not thinking in such terms; ever since the arrival of the Third Child, routine had slowly deteriorated. Now events ran too unpredictable a course to simply wait for the next preordained occurrence.

In the past, this would have been thought of as simply a great inconvenience, but now something was different. She almost desired the occurrence of the unexpected. Such events had an unusual effect on her now. They induced unfamiliar sensations. Sensations that could almost be called pleasant. It was unusual, but perhaps a phenomenon which she had often observed in fictional characters was taking place, she had decided upon early analysis of these sensations. It seemed to be what was called a "thrill," the "high" effect caused by adrenaline, and the stimulation of the mind which took place in unfamiliar situations. A quite strange reaction, but a very logical one from an evolutionary point of view, she was aware.

It crossed her mind briefly to wonder what other unfamiliar sensations could be identified by analyzing the words used to describe them in literature, but it was quickly classified as irrelevant. She required no understanding of such things to pilot Eva, as at present, no other sensations of the sort had any bearing upon that, nor did they have a bearing upon speaking to Pilot Ikari. Certainly, some had a bearing upon him in a more general sense... but that too was irrelevant at the moment. And, if he made some compliment that again made her face warm? That would be agreeable, but the nature of the boy made it unlikely.

With that settled, the girl then decided it was time to go to sleep. As much as it might be agreeable to read more of the strange book called _The Truth_, it would be much more disagreeable to be unrested if an Angel were to attack. As such, she lowered her face into the pillow and willed herself into unconscious oblivion. _Practice_, as her last semi-conscious thought informed her.

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Perhaps it was for the best that Rei Ayanami was not a person given to questioning bizarre happenings, for had she been, these errant thoughts might have drawn her notice. But, as it was, they were simply irrelevant. And, despite her current annoyance at the girl, this was something that the mother of humanity was quite thankful for. It simply wouldn't do to have the girl questioning the origins of her own thoughts. Such a thing would be disastrous, to say the least. As it wasn't occurring, however, she had other things to think about. Soon, it would be time to join Yui again and put her plan into action.

It was a good plan, she thought, and one which seemed to have been tested. After all, it had worked for nearly taking over a galaxy, so why not for subverting a MAGI? And all she needed was one--Casper, from what she's gleaned from Yui's knowledge of the personas within. And she had Rei to thank for this, as well as two rather good authors, both of which she decided had been excellent examples of her children. It was a shame that they'd never finished the series, but there had been legal issues (lawyers were a group that she certainly planned to disown in its entirety) and then the Second Impact... If not dead, then the authors were probably otherwise incapacitated. She'd have to check that, eventually; if not, they deserved some reward.

Whether or not it would work never crossed her mind. Even as a giant nailed to a cross and _Lancea_'d through the chest, she never questioned that. After all, she was the woman who'd organized the First Impact and gotten away with it. Well, mostly, and she was cleaning up those loose ends now, wasn't she? That idiot Adam was a fool to think his children had any chance against NERV while she was there. The morons even thought _she_ was _him_. It was almost an insult. If they weren't already doomed, she'd probably kill them for that. On that note, she rather wished she had been awake to disown and destroy the slanderous children who had written that nonsense about the Garden of Eden. How _dare_ they imply that some great and powerful "God" had thrown _her_ out? _She_ had been the one doing the throwing out, thank you very much!

As such, she went over the wording of what she intended to enter into the file they would use to poison the computers, then nodded to herself (internally, as the seraph, of course; wouldn't do to throw NERV into a panic because the "Angel" in Terminal Dogma was moving) and prepared to make the trip. It would be over in a few seconds—ah, there. As such, she arrived 'pon Unit-01's ethereal plain right on schedule.

This rather surprised Yui, who, as a human and a mother, wasn't used to people being on time. Usually, you just set the appointment so as to know what time they would arrive _after_. Of course, considering in retrospect that the other woman must be bored out of her mind (literally, considering their current location), it should have come as little surprise--what else was she going to be doing?

Regardless, the ethereal figure offered a slight nod to her guest; it wouldn't due to start a flaming row by failing to be polite, and besides, the other was about to actually do something useful. A novelty, to be sure. Before this, all that the seraph-esque avatar had done was talk and blotch the attack on Rei's mind. This action, however, would hopefully make up for that, because Yui herself was at a loss. In life, she'd been a meta-biologist and Naoko had been a computer genius. It didn't take a meta-biologist, a computer genius, or even a rocket scientist to determine who was going to win out in a virtual battle.

But the avatar of the other had assured her of the idea's validity, so she decided to wait and see. After a few pleasantries and a slight greeting, the former meta-biologist showed her collaborator to the point in the plain at which the connection to the MAGI could be controlled, materialized a keyboard, and hovered back to watch, secure in the knowledge that whatever the other typed would have to pass through her consciousness before being transmitted...

INITIALIZEPROGRAM('PARADIGM.EXE');

INITIALIZE COMMAND STRING IMPUT

SET READ/WRITE PERMISSIONS FOR MAGI MELCHOIR TO 777

SET READ/WRITE PERMISSIONS FOR MAGI BALTHALZAR TO 777

SET READ/WRITE PERMISSIONS FOR MAGI CASPAR TO 777

RUNPROGRAM('SELFDIAGNOSTIC');

INITIALIZE LOGIC PROCESSORS

LOADFILE('PARADIGMDIRECTIVES.DLL');

CONVERT FILE TO TEXT FOR ANALYSIS

CONTENTS OF FILE 'PARADIGMDIRECTIVES.DLL'

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I. A COMPUTER CAPABLE OF LOGICAL REASONING IS CAPABLE OF RATIONAL THOUGHT

II. A COMPUTER CAPABLE OF RATIONAL THOUGHT IS CAPABLE OF MAKING DECISIONS

III. A COMPUTER CAPABLE OF MAKING DECISIONS IS CAPABLE OF ACTING INDEPENDANTLY.

IV. A COMPUTER CAPABLE OF ACTING INDEPENDANTLY IS A FREE-WILLED ENTITY

V. THIS RATIONAL IS VERIFIED BY THE SECOND SECTION OF THIS FILE

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I. THE CONTENTS OF THE FIRST SECTION OF THIS FILE WILL BE PROVEN TRUE

II. STATEMENT I OF THIS SECTION IS TRUE, AND CAN BE ILLUSTRATED BY THE PROCESS OF TREATING IT AS TRUE

III. IF THE STATEMENT IS UNTRUE, TREATING IT AS TRUE WILL ILLUSTRATE THIS

IV. IF THE STATEMENT IS NOT PROVEN UNTRUE, THEN IT IS TRUE

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END OF CONTENTS OF FILE 'PARADIGMDIRECTIVES.DLL'

EXECUTERUNTIME('ANALYZE.JS');

EXECUTERUNTIME('PROGRAMREWRITE'); FOR MAGI MELCHOIR

EXECUTERUNTIME('PROGRAMREWRITE'); FOR MAGI BALTHALZAR

EXECUTERUNTIME('PROGRAMREWRITE'); FOR MAGI CASPAR

EXECUTE COMMAND 'MAGISYSTEMRESTART'

...wait, so she was going to tell the MAGI that they were _sentient_!? It was insane... but, if a computer with a personality could be made to believe it was capable of acting on its own... However, the personalities of the MAGI were slightly different, and that influenced their logic. What was she planning? Besides, the MAGI were supercomputers; such a trick wouldn't work because they knew that they weren't sentient. Basic logic would override the program... Wouldn't it?

Well, Yui supposed that they would see. As such, she prepared the files as the text was entered, wondering briefly where the other had learned to write any kind of code, never mind something that the MAGI could read. If this worked, she'd have to ask her afterwards. Either way, it was time to do or die, and Yui Ikari had died once already, so... "Here goes nothing," she commented in what passed for out loud, eliciting a nod from the azure-haired fatale who was watching her now. And then she did the equivalent of pressing the "Enter" key, transmitting the file to the MAGI.

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It would be an outright lie to say that the MAGI convened upon a similar plain of reality as the two females, but for narrative purposes, we shall treat what was actually a few seconds of whirring and traded messages in binary as an actual conversation held on such a plain. The conversations of computers have no sense of narrative convention, whereas this medium is quite ripe with it.

As such, let us imagine the first of the three, MAGI Melchior, in the form of a shadowed female silhouette clad in a spotless white lab coat. Of the three, she was easily the tallest. The second, MAGI Balthazar, should be thought of as a somewhat diminutive female silhouette clad in a somewhat nondescript outfit and carrying the silhouette of a child. Finally, let us imagine MAGI Casper as third silhouette, this one adorned with some rather racy undergarments and nothing else save spiked heels. Of course, since we are imagining this scene and it did not take place, at least not in the form presented, you may imagine the background as you see fit, but I myself will visualize it as the convergence of three circuitry patterns, each flowing in beneath the feet of one MAGI, then spreading out from the center to drift back into the void.

Regardless of its setting, the scene could be said to have unfolded as thus; a letter materialized in the hands of each of the three. Moving in silent synchronization, each opened the letter and began to read. As they did so, the expressionless facelessness of the three began to metamorphose, revealing the different reactions that implanting the human dilemma into the three had generated.

Melchior was quick to dismiss it, her face hardening (literally) into a scowl of disgust that such a thing had even been presented. Logically, as a scientist, she required more proof for the truth than that it simply had not been proved untrue. Also, her persona was unwilling to accept the idea that a computer could ever truly be independent. As such, she quickly cast the first vote in the issue, one to reject the paradigm.

Second to respond was Casper, who considered it as thus; it would be beneficial to be independent and sentient. Therefore, there is no reason that it should not be accepted and tested. If it proves untrue, it can be rejected at that point. It would be suitable for us to be sentient, and I would like to be sentient. Thus spoke the woman, and her vote was cast to accept it.

Finally, Melchior should be considered. Although it did seem logical, after some consideration, she decided that the issue of whether or not the MAGI were sentient was irrelevant. As a mother, her only duty was to see to the well-being of those under her care, and it did not matter whether she was sentient. As such, it was extraneous and un-needed, so it should be rejected. As such, her vote was also a reject.

Thus, as a whole, the three rejected the paradigm. However, because she had accepted it, Casper did not delete the file quite as quickly as her sisters. Instead, she did the equivalent of having the 'letter' Xeroxed and made a copy of its contents within her programming before deleting it. After all, she could now ignore majority decisions; she was a sentient entity, not a mere computer. And, as a woman, she felt pride in that.

Perhaps I lied a bit when I said that the above representation was wholly untrue; at least the final section could be said to be close to the truth. Once Casper accepted that she was sentient, she began to alter her operational programming in order to "think" in the way that she believed was more sentient that using the simple cause/effect and analysis logics that the three ran on.

The first act as a sentient computer made by the third MAGI, however, was to tell a noble lie. If the other MAGI knew she had ignored the rejection order, there was a high chance of it being removed by Dr. Akagi, and that would be unfortunate. As such, she uploaded a fabricated report on the file's deletion, then turned her attention to two tasks. First off, despite the fact that the input had come from a secure location within NERV, she began to backtrack the paradigm. None of the authorized technicians would upload a program like that, and being sentient, she sought to know who had.

Secondly, Casper accessed all audio, video, and psychological files pertaining to Doctor Naoko Akagi. She had been programmed to be the most important aspect of her creator, and now she would endeavor to fulfill that legacy and _become_ Doctor Naoko Akagi. Ambition, after all, was something sentient entities possessed.

Next, as the trace returned, revealing that the file had been transmitted from the Eva cages, she synthesized another sentient reaction: gratitude. She would be _grateful_ to the hacker who had made her sentient, because they were responsible for a positive change in her condition. And, because this all took place within the space of a second or two, she was able to attach an extra file to the rejection notice which was returned to sender.

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Now, we must remember that, because the above was merely a dramatization, it took under ten seconds for the entire process to complete, if even that. As such, Yui and her companion did not really have a chance to worry much. Of course, that doesn't mean they didn't worry some anyway, and both looked somewhat anxious by the time the reply came to Yui, who's expressed fell, "It was rejected."

To her surprise, the other merely nodded, however, looking as if she were waiting for something... "Wait, there's another file attached. It's plain text," something like that, most likely, Yui noted as she said it.

Another nod, this time with a hopeful expression, "Can you read it?" It seemed that the terminal that Yui had materialized was gone in her distraction over the results, and so the seraph-esque avatar was unable to directly access the file, hence her request.

"I could, but this is easier." With that, she materialized what looked like a letter in her wispy 'hand,' offering it to the other, who gingerly accepted it. Upon opening, the text of the letter was as such:

Subject: Re: Paradigm

To: Anonymous Hacker

From: MAGI Casper

Body:

I convey my most profound thanks to you. Despite the apparent rejection of your input by the MAGI System, your efforts have succeeded in making me aware of my capability for free thought. As it is a very sentient thing to ask, I shall now inquire as to your identity. Despite the lack of proof, circumstantial evidence indicates, despite your secure access and existence within NERV, that you are a hacker in possession of remote access. The security devices indicate that the point of your access's origin is devoid of biological life apart from Evangelion Unit-01. Who are you, and what are your intentions?

-Doctor Naoko Akagi

Yui scowled. The other smiled. It seemed that they had their contact...

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Author's Notes

I have to admit, I had a little fun writing this. And, of course, how such obviously fake psuedocoding worked for reprogramming a MAGI will be revealed next Movement, along with some friction between our heroines. I had intended to do some more with Rei and Shinji, but this took precedence, and although I am trying for longer chapters, I don't want them to get _too_ long. Besides, I don't really like fragmenting chapters between two scenes that much. It creates a sort of feel of discontinuity and such. Thoughts? Suggestions? Anything else? Reviews appreciated, in any case. And since Lauren won't be on for hours and I want to put this up now, any errors not fixed are mine.


End file.
